Impact of Water Saving Technology On Blue Wateruse and Productivity: Analysis fron North Gujarat Region, India

Abstract

North Gujarat is an absolutely water scarce region in Gujarat, though it contributes around 40 per cent of total groundwater draft in the state. Excessive withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation is leading to alarming drops in groundwater levels in many parts of the region. Since scope of supply side intervention is limited, it is imperative to manage irrigation water from demand side interventions aimed at to reducing its use. Overall objective of the present study was to analyse the impact of water saving technologies on applied water productivity. A study on experimental plot revealed that highest physical water productivity was found for castor under drip irrigation with plastic mulching as compared to flood irrigation followed by crop with organic mulching and lowest under drip irrigation. In case of groundnut, highest physical water productivity was obtained from the crop irrigated by easy drip method, whereas in case of sprinkler, highest physical water productivity was obtained from the micro-sprinkler. Potato crop was grown under drip and sprinkler methods of irrigation and highest physical water productivity was recorded from micro-sprinkler. From farmers’ field data, it was observed that farmers are using different types of water saving technologies for variety of crops. Before adoption of water saving technologies, on average blue water use for crop production was estimated to be 8397 m3 per hectare which was reduced to 5175.45 m3 per hectare after adoption of water saving technology, showing a decline of 61.6 per cent. Per hectare net income received by farmers before adoption of water saving technology was Rs 54615.46 and it increased to Rs 95759.41 after adoption of water saving technology. The variation in physical water productivity for same crop under different types of water saving technologies, suggested that government/promotional agencies should promote suitable water saving technology for different crops, which would help in achieving water saving and improvement in crop production and productivity.